Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)
I am a Military Surviving Spouse, This (for me) means that my husband died active duty of service-connected illness. Because his death was service connected I qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC). (DIC) is a compensation benefit paid by the Department of Veterans Affairs to surviving spouses and others whose Veteran died on active duty or died from a service-related injury or illness. DIC provides surviving families with the means to maintain some semblance of economic stability after losing their loved ones.
Think of DIC as pension paid to the surviving family. Many employers offer a survivors pension. A pension is normally calculated at 55% of the employees current or retirement pay depending on the company/organization. Almost all Federal employees receive the 55% percentage. Although Compensation in some form has been paid to survivors since the Revolutionary War, in 1993, Congress establish DIC to create equity with other federal survivor benefits. 1993 was also the last time any increases were made to DIC, except COLA (Cost of Living Adjustments). Even though a true equity or parity would be to receive 55%, Military surviving spouses that receive DIC, only receive 43%. The amount is calculated using the VA Disability Compensation for a 100% disabled unemployable veteran basic rate which is currently $3737.85 monthly. This means that DIC is currently $1,562.73 monthly. If DIC was in parity to other pension plans across the country at the 55% rate the amount would be $2055.82 monthly. Department of Justice DIC payments are on average 2x military DIC. Congressional DIC payments equal the full compensation of the deceased member, averaging 9x higher than military DIC. Survivor benefit payment rates are less for military than it is for civilian federal employees.
Unlike most pension plans, if the surviving spouse remarries before age 55, they will lose DIC benefits (along with healthcare and all other survivor benefits). VA will actively seek out and remove benefits from spouses who are “holding themselves out to be married” without a marriage license. If you are living with someone of the opposite sex, even as plutonic roommates, you may be have to deal with court proceedings to prove that you are not “holding themselves out to be married” or be subject to have all of your benefits removed. Currently 484,442 Surviving spouses receive DIC (as of 12/31/2023). Of those surviving spouses only about 38,263 are under age 55.
Currently there is a bill, Caring for Survivors Act,(H.R. 1083 /S. 414), that would bring DIC payments in line with benefits for surviving spouses of federal employees. https://moaa.quorum.us/campaign/36953/ Another bill, The Love Lives On Act (H.R. 3651 /S. 1266), would remove the arbitrary age of 55 as a requirement for surviving spouses to retain benefits after remarrying. https://moaa.quorum.us/campaign/47966/
For further information please read:
https://www.votervoice.net/AmericanLegion/Campaigns/106887/Respond
https://www.legion.org/sites/legion.org/files/legion/documents/2024%20Washington%20Conference%20caregiver.pdf
https://www.taps.org/advocacy#priorities
https://www.independentbudget.org/benefits/
http://www.themilitarycoalition.org/survivors-committee-goals.html
https://www.goldstarwives.org/legislation
https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1083
https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/3651
